(Bloomberg) -- An Algerian court sentenced four members of a tycoon family close to former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to jail, in a high-profile corruption trial meant to show the OPEC member’s commitment to reform.
The case ensnared Redha, Abdelkader-Karim and Tarek-Noah Kouninef, who hold senior roles in the Kougc Group, a once-small construction company that grew into a powerhouse during Bouteflika’s two decades at Algeria’s helm. They were sentenced to between 12 and 16 years, while their sister, Souad Nour, was handed 20 years in absentia, Ennahar TV reported.
The court in Algiers on Wednesday convicted them of amassing enormous wealth through state contracts and loans obtained illicitly with the help of payoffs and their decades-long link to the octogenarian Bouteflika, who resigned last year amid mass protests. Their assets were also ordered seized.
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